Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-01-14
ETHEL'S CHOICE.

the VasJeIully pound little volume which
is now slipping from her delicate hand.
half the time dreaming of-well, she
could not tell exactly what she has been
dreaming Of Perhaps she has been
dreaming over her delightful three weeks
at Newport; perhaps last nights party
has engrossed her thoughts. At all
events, thinking has been pleasant occu-
patton, for her face is very bright
What charming picture she makes,
lying back luxuriantly in a hammock,
her beautiful head pillowed on soft,
white arms, and her hair, of that rich
shade Of chestnut brown, shining in the
sunlight which slips in through the thick
foliage OF the arbor. Very charming in
deed is she to a pair of dark eyes, which,
like sunbeams, are peeping at her
through the same medium.
"Ethelp
Miss Abbott gives little startled cry
as the owner of the eyes-a tall we'll
built fellow of twenty-four or twenty
tve-com quickly into the arbor.
Jack how you frightened mel"
"Did ~ says the intruder, penitent-
ly; 81 am so sorry. The fact is, Mrs.
Abbott told me you were here, and 1
really was so anxious to see YOU"
"Yery kind of you," muImurs Miss
Abbott, politely.
But something in. her tone seems to
have chilling effect, for Jack reddens
slightly, and there is little pause.
"You wished to see me-" says the
young lady at length, turning with
polite interrogation to the other
"You might naturally suppose so, as
| came here to find you, :" is the answer,
delivered with depressed energy which
commands attention. Then, with an
abrupt change of manner Ethel, what
is the matter? Why are you so coldI"
81 am very warm" signs Miss Alb
bolt, trying to be funny, by way of evad
ing the question.
Her effort Is rendered a lamentable
failure, however, by an emphatic
"Pshaww which escapes with more
vigor than courtesy.
The young man rises and comes to the
side of the hammock, looking down
upon its burden with eyes which are
very expressive.
Don't trihe with me, Ethel" he
says in low voice, which is lust the
least unsteady as if the speaker were
suppressing a good deal of emotion.
" You know perfectly well why came
here to-day"
Miss Abbott looks up with an air of
great surprise-only for a moment, how
ever, for with all her faults she is not
one whit untruthful. Then her eyes
drop hastily.
"Well," she says, with a quick catch
IF hor hat I loCJ
There is another pause, while the dark
eyes grow darker with mingled sadness
and, it must be confessed, Indignation,
while the tremor of voice is marked as
Jack says:
"What of it? Only this: The arctic
expedition expects to leave port to-mor-
row, and go with it or not, as YOU bid
me. You know well enough that l love
you, Ethel-surely I need rot tell you
that again"
''It is of no USE" says Ethel, after a
moments silence, with little plaintive
laugh: "NO, Jack, we are both too poor,
and, though don't like to confess it, l
am too mercenary.'
There is no reply, thorgh Miss Abbott
pauses for one; the dark eyes ret upon
her with an intensity which is not pleas
ant, and the Dung mans grasp on the
hammock tightens involuntarily. She
goes on hastily:
Il know it does not sound well but
it is true. want 50 many things-dia-
monds, horses, and Worth costumes in
short, everything that money can buy"
Certainly, Miss Abbot's confession is
not very pretty, though the flush which
follows it is.
$50 you prefer marrying an income to
marrying man, - is the only comment
vouchsafed by her auditor. Heaven
forgive you, Ethel, if yon mean what
you say.
The hand on the hammock is removed
with suddenncss which causes the lat
tie, 10 sway violently, and Miss Abbott
unreasonably loses her temper.
81 think you forget yourself, Mr..
Lindsay" she says haughtily. 'Pray,
be more careful"
81 beg your pardon, is the stilly
polite reioinder; and the offender ex
tends his hand to assist the young lady
to alight
She takes it with averted eyes and
steps to the ground, drawing it quickly
away a moment later.
"Good bye"
She has turned to leave the arbor whe1
the words are spoken.
Goodbye" she says, coldly
Strangely enough, she cannot muster
courage to raise her eyes to his. Tit
hand she gives is imprisoned tightly.
"Won't you wish me bon voyagc?'
says the young man, with faint attemp
at a smile.
"We never know what day ma,
bring forth, " she says, uttering a yer,
solemn truth with very common light
ness. 'Still, if you wish it bon voy
age"
An uncomfortable silence 49, thel
Goodbye, and Ethel is free to RESUME
her reading, while the sound of rapid
footsteps die away in the distance.
She does not avail herself of the op
portunity however, but sits motionles
on the little rustic bench, rather mex
plicable expression in her deep blue eyes
Suddenly she arises with gesture O
impotence.
''Absurd -
This little outburst of vehemence seem
to relieve her, and she proceeds to gatne
up her parasol and neglected novel, turn
from the arbor, and walks rapidly towal,
the house. 1t is a pr.tty villa, rathe
addicted to vines and climbing roses
with broad, inviting veranda-the YER
place for comfortable performance 0
that charming drama: Glove in a Cot
tage This drama is now in progress
the dramatis personn being Martin All
bott, the good-natured older brother q
ME- E.hnl,1n nnd his arunnt HILL ,.-: e.